"Virtual Machine Instances" relating to "Windows server" or a "Linux server", how?

[Marc De Mol]

"Virtual Machine Instances" (VMI) are like the name implies, the machines, a "Windows server" or a "Linux server" are the systems that are installed on those MVI's, how are they supposed to be related?

In our discovery, I have none related, I only find a couple Linux servers having a "Serial number" found by the OS on one side corresponding to the VMI "Bios UUID" but even these are not having a relationship between the 2 records.

Many VMI and servers share the same name but none are related in any form.

I went looking for a means for a pattern to be able to do this and came up empty as well, none of the ID's found on both side seem to always match.

When discussing with our vCenter experts, they didn't have an idea either, they also explained that VMI's move not only within the cluster, also between clusters.

Anybody found a way of relating these 2 sides of a same coin?

I found some questions on the value of the VMI, some even ignoring the records. I'm interested in them as they have good information coming from vCenter on the configuration that I trust more than what I find on the server record coming from IP discovery or operational input. 

[Marc De Mol]

I found the following article but not sure if it will help:

Uniquely Identifying Virtual Machines in vSphere and vCloud Part 1: Overview - VMware vSphere Blog

[kevin33]

According the vmware article, .basically it require vcenter + VM intance id to unique in multiple vcenter environment. 

But When I run discovery I notice discovery simply put the vm instance id into VMI table. 

I was wondering how it handle the multiple vcenter VMI with same instanced id.

I also confuse at how servicenow find server CI for VMI, as the serial number have chance to duplicated even in same vcenter. 

I hope Servicenow Developer able to give some ideas...

[Hannah20]

This is how ServiceNow platform link VMI and servers/computer:

VMI: [Correlation ID]=42 25 6a a5 6d 2b d0 00-7d 26 72 fb 3e b6 d6 6f

server/computer: [serial number]=VMWARE-42 25 6a a5 6d 2b d0 00-7d 26 72 fb 3e b6 d6 6f

if the two records match, you will see the following relationships automatically:

1. server/computer--->Instantiates::Instantiated by-->VMI

2. server/computer--->Registered on::Has registered-->ESX (if VMI<-->ESX was created)

I don't know which OOTB business rule triggers it though.